zenrat

What were they thinking? "this is fun" hopefully. Someone had a great time building that and I am sure that when they did so they had a logical reason behind every modification they made. I know I did when I did similar as a kid. Are we really that sad and jaded that we would hold this up to ridicule because it doesn't meet the standards we set for ourselves? Would any of us like it if work by our children was held up for ridicule?

Didn't Modified Sports class cars have to run with the top up? I know the engine set back was much more generous in MSp (25%) than in Gas (10%) The answer Jim is to create the CJDRA (Crazy Jim Drag Racing Association) with it's own Gas class rules that allow roadsters to compete against coupes & sedans. Then you can build what you want, call it what you want and put whatever class labels on it you want.

Try Humbrol matt enamels. They always seem to come out very flat. Make sure they are thoroughly mixed.

Good move Jason. It's a bit stressful having to scrape fresh paint out of the slot to get them to fit if you do it the other way. My issue with the hinges was that the wire they give you to use as pins is bigger diameter than the holes it is supposed to go through. And too hard to successfully "mushroom" over to get it to stay in place if you do get it through. If you want to risk insanity and build them I suggest using stretched sprue for the pins and smearing over the ends with a hot knife.

Best way to avoid the tube kinking is to use rod instead. If you really need an open end (exhaust pipe for example) then use rod and graft a piece of tube of the same diameter onto the end with styrene cement and sand down the join. It won't show.

Too subtle Jeff. Some people won't bother clicking on a link.

Hollydeck - mash up of Star Trek & Red Dwarf technology. A 3 dimensional totally immersive holographic entertainment system run by a computer too stupid to count to 20 without taking its shoes off. Mind you, given how many times the Holodecks on the Enterprise malfunctioned could one run by Holly be any less reliable?

It's never occurred to me to drill holes in dud cans. I have been throwing them away. However, if Bill and Gluhead say it's safe (taking the appropriate precautions) then i'm game to try it. Just so happens I have a big can of gloss black enamel that's about to die. Want to shake a rattle can the easy way? Just find your local Triumph owner, and ask him to go for a ride with a can strapped to the frame. From experience a '71 250 will shake enough to leave a trail of parts down the road so it should have no problem mixing your paint. If you can't find one of them then try any late 70's twin from any of the British manufacturers.

I'd forgotten that. It looked so much better as the Catwomanmobile. NOT. How about Lady Penelopes FAB1 (TV series not the poor excuse for a movie)? Not only was it a TV car but also a model. Then there was the racing striped GNX Damien Lewis drove in LIfe and has anyone brought up the Supernaturally creaky doored Impala (or is it on the list - I can't be bothered to go through it again - too much dross).

Politicians. When was the last time you heard one of them (of any political bent) admit to a mistake?

First one I REMEMBER. I'm sure I saw other cars on the idiots lantern before The Batmobile but it was the one that stuck.

Very good job there. Well done.

Because chicks dig the car. Sorry, wrong movie. It should be #1 because it was the first car I remember seeing on the TV.

Some Japanese Minibus kits came with operating sliding doors. This was a (IIRC) Nitto kit. It's a Nissan Sunny Vanette. The door has top and bottom pins mounted on arms that stick out into the body of the van (you can see them on the first pic as they are white against the black interior). These run in channels which kick inwards at the front to bring the leading edge of the door into the body when it reaches that last bit of travel. There is also a slot on the side of the body (see second pic) and a corresponding lug on the back of the door at the trailing edge. That lug has a pin through it and it slides in the slot. The pin stopping it from popping out. HTH

Nice spot of plastic surgery Alexandre.

Nice shelf Mike. that Mickey Thompson book worth getting?

Today I got... ...paid.

Sinister. This kit, while I love it for it's sheer presence (size matters after all!) was one of the bigger disappointments of my modelling life when I opened it and discovered how poor the detail was. Still, it can be made to look good as you have shown.

Good job Dan.

Nothing fancy. I cropped the pic with Apple's Preview (cropping isn't strictly necessary but it makes for a better result) saved it and then inserted it into Micro$oft Powerpoint. I then just dragged the top of the pic up (and the bottom down) until the writing looked circular. I then drew a circle with the draw commands to check the circularity. Selected both the stretched pic and the circle, grouped them and then saved the resulting image (not the presentation) as a Jpeg. Et Voila. Robert is your mothers brother.

OK. But the same stretching trick would work with the pic of the sidewall. Crop and stretch in the vertical axis until it is circular. You'll get some distortion but the result should be good enough to enable someone to identify a font or to draw up the decal. Like this

Sorry to do this Virg but I think your formula needs a little revision. Doctor Cranky's formula (as revised by zenrat): 0.5 Have fun. 1. Make time. 1.5 Have fun. 2. Inform yourself (that includes reading the mags, books, watching videos--FEED YOUR HEAD--participate in the forum exchange). 2.5 Have fun. 3. Build at your skill level... 3.5 ...but don't be afraid to try new things and have fun 4. Buy the best tools you can afford (trust me, you will save money in the long run). 4.5 Have fun. 5. You don't need a lot of fancy tools to build models, but if you want them, follow #4 & #4.5. 5.5 Have fun. 6. Don't build alone, build inside a community (forum and local clubs) and share your work. Sharing your work will save you time and will be fun. 6.5 Have fun. 7. Keep an open mind about learning and about the feedback/criticism you receive. Go to shows and ask the builders of your favorite models your questions. 7.5 Enjoy yourself and have fun. 8. Keep your first couple of models (later when you compare them to recent work, you'll be amazed by your progress). 8.5 Have fun 9. Share your information, help others coming up. AND #10 AND MOST IMPORTANT: Remember to have fun. Building models is supposed to bring you joy and satisfaction and be fun. It's a hobby. Don't take it too seriously. But if you do take it seriously, do it with twinkle in your eye keep your wits about you and have fun. Strive to be an ambassador to the hobby and pass down what you learn. And may styrene bring you many years of pleasure and satisfaction and fun.

Because you want the tread pattern? If you crop the tread from the picture you have and then stretch the cropped picture in the vertical axis you will come close to what you need. You'll have to guess how much to stretch it but i'd say probably double the height might be about right.

You never stop learning Mike. It's just some people don't realise they're being taught while others choose to ignore the lessons.